1995 Explorer Summer Project

[Chrisjd10]

Hey, this is my first post so hopefully it's in the right spot. I'm working on my uncle's 1995 Explorer 4.0 V6 and I'm just wondering what would have to be repaired before I take it on the road. I'm in college so life is pretty busy and I can only work on it when I'm back up north since the truck is in New Jersey. I know some things are crucial and others aren't, I just wanna be prepared and get parts for whatever repairs are needed. The truck has been sitting for 3 years but thankfully I got it running this summer. The idle is super smooth and there's no weird sounds coming from the engine bay. I drove it around the driveway and it shifts into gear perfectly. All the fluid levels are good, temperatures look good and there are no leaks. The only issue so far is rust. The salt has left a fair amount of surface rust on the frame and rocker panels, but from the research I've done, don't think it's enough to be super concerned. The ride height and the springs look good but there's a lot of rust on the shocks in the front and rear so I'm going to replace those since their pretty cheap. I can take care of all of the rust once I get it home, I just wanna see if I could drive it back instead of having it transported. The road trip home is about 10 hours and I know it'll be a lot for the truck since it's been sitting for a while, but I'll definitely break it up into a few days. So far I know I need new tires, shocks, and I'd like to do an oil change, but besides that, is there anything else you'd guys recommend? I've attached some images below. Thanks.

 

[DintDobbs]

Doesn't look too bad, given the salt! I'd nab you a good bottle of OSPHO, a spray bottle, some gloves, goggles, and a dust mask, and go to town spraying every inch underneath that beautiful beast. That stuff is awesome and will turn rusted surfaces back into black metal. Doesn't work beyond surface rust, but start now and you won't regret it!

Besides that, it sounds like you've got all the basics covered - besides just the oil though, I'd take it to a nearby garage and have your transmission fluid drained and refilled (NOT flushed!), drain and refill the differentials (good to do once every 10 or 20 years, ha ha) and may be dump the coolant and replace with new; consider new fluids if you're concerned for the quality of any of the ones which are already filled. May be think about new shock absorbers if they're more than 15 years old, Rancho RS5000X's are a good gas shock absorber for the price.

And what visor is that? I'm asking for @Metalface .

 

[Metalface]

Where the hell was this when I was hunting one down! Wtf I'm jealous LOL. Your uncle was a cool guy obviously.. Check out that sick visor and tail light cages. Sheesh.

Mine looked WAY worse; also from NJ. Mine was from Ocean County area and so was I lol. So you did very good for NJ!! Must be low mile or never saw more than a few winters with how little rust there is there. There's a reason I got mine for $800 a few years ago!! The kind of steel used on our frames has a tendency to make big swollen rust flakes, that are mostly flake that look 1000x worse than they actually are.
Air chisel + respirator then grinder with thick wire wheel then a flap disc and paint.
.. then lanolin product like Surface Shield. You'll be happy you did it. I'm rust free and mine used to haul a boat trailer. You got this! I must have lived underneath mine for a solid week just removing all the rust, priming it, and coating it. It paid off. No worries anymore. Gave me a really good chance to inspect all the bushings and replace what was needed, too. Funny enough actually on closer inspection it looks like they installed the same mud flaps I got LOL. Our trucks are almost twins except mine's a 97 and it's Dark Lapis.

Issues I had with regular maintenance making-up was that the gaskets for the diffs were both cooked, and there was a rot hole in my diff cover. Diff plug was rust welded, handled that. E-brake was not an e-brake, it was just a cable that didn't do anything; frozen from rust. Rear tire carrier didn't do anything, also frozen from rust and the hanger rotted out. One shackle was nearly rotten through, and my brake calipers all had to be replaced because not only were they mostly frozen but the bleeders were too; wasn't worth it. Lines too.. Of course.. Learned that one by one lol. Overall though if you have maintenance records of brakes, don't worry about those.. Don't trust those diff seals. You know how you said "no leaks?" Well, you know what they say. If it's leaking, it's got oil in it. Mine were bone dry when I opened them, down to the sump recess at the bottom of the diff.. Just enough left to keep them from blowing themselves up. Also my shocks were rusty but worked.. Bout three months in all shocks were entirely dead. No shockage. Was literally like a boat going down the road, rocking back and forth over any bump. I got Rancho RS5000s for the rear and Monroe Monroe-Matics for the front. They definitely are shocks. Never did the 5th shock but I read on here a lot of people said "nah don't bother" but that was antiquated opinions -- new debate says "bother" so I'm gonna bother soon. Makes cornering safer and stuff. So I'd say good decision replacing the shocks.

Edit: Also you might wanna sand, mask off, and blast those lift gate corners/door trim edges. Mine drove me nuts especially when they started to fade in different colors.. omfg it was horrible. Painting them black (along with the door trim corners) really makes it look new again.. We have really good paint in terms of how much it can be polished back to life. Not so much for the black extra parts, but the body comes back to life with not much more than a good wash clay bar and polish. Instant value added back in and then any dirt you get on it is your dirt, not some other guy's dirt.

Here are some questions:
Mileage?
Last time it actually drove?
Timing job ever done?
What kind of oil did he feed it? Synthetic or Conventional?
How *often* did he change the oil? Most of us lean towards 3K miles to keep it ultra clean for the timing chain setup. Sludge kills these motors.
Motor been replaced? (more likely than you think! lol)
When's the last fuel pump been done? LOL.

Major thing I ask about right now though is the fuel pump.. because you're saying a 10 hour trip. Mine will do a 10 hour trip if I break it up just to be safe, though it's done 3 hours, stop for 30 mins, 3 hours. That's not a lot to ask of a vehicle, but the fuel pumps are known to take a dump around X miles or X years -- depends on a lot. And it's hard to catch, sometimes it only loses pressure when it begins to get hot and tired on a trip. They'll run with 30Psi or less but it should be higher. Check the rail. It can be intermittent. Just make sure if you do take the trip you're prepared to do a fuel pump, and you're prepared to keep the tank pretty full so the pump doesn't starve and get too hot. Good luck!!! Excited to see the progress.

@DintDobbs funny enough it didn't tell me you tagged me... But I saw it anyway. Very nice visor Looks like it might be a Lund Moon Visor.

 

[Mbrooks420]

It’s an OHV, none of that garbage timing stuff to be concerned about.

I’d just change all the fluids including the brake fluid. I’d change the belt.

These are tough, she’ll probably make the 10 hours just fine.

 

[Chrisjd10]

@DintDobbs Thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it. I did some research and it's a lund cab visor. @Metalface Yep, I got super lucky compared to some of the cars seen up north lol. The truck has around 110,000 miles so far and I've heard the 4.0 V6's are very reliable so I didn't want to see it scrapped. I'm very sure my uncle took great care of it but I have to see if I can find the maintenance records for it. I'm pretty sure he used synthetic oil but I'd want to drain the old oil out because it's an easy job. I'd also feel safer going through all the fluids just to rule all that stuff out like you said. I also removed and cleaned all of the intake sensors since they were pretty dirty. I'd like to get a new fuel pump regardless but I'll probably let a shop handle that because dropping the fuel tank and draining it will be a big undertaking for me in a driveway lol. Before I left I sprayed fluid film everywhere so it's good for the winter, that stuff works like a charm. This is my first time ever really working on a car, especially from a non running perspective. My main car is a dodge challenger and I like tinkering with it but there's only so much stuff you can do to it lol. If I get it road worthy I'll probably hit the mountains and beaches of NC. I've always wanted an off road vehicle and this truck has 4WD so I'm super excited to see where it'll take me ha.

 

[Metalface]

@DintDobbs Thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it. I did some research and it's a lund cab visor. @Metalface Yep, I got super lucky compared to some of the cars seen up north lol. The truck has around 110,000 miles so far and I've heard the 4.0 V6's are very reliable so I didn't want to see it scrapped. I'm very sure my uncle took great care of it but I have to see if I can find the maintenance records for it. I'm pretty sure he used synthetic oil but I'd want to drain the old oil out because it's an easy job. I'd also feel safer going through all the fluids just to rule all that stuff out like you said. I also removed and cleaned all of the intake sensors since they were pretty dirty. I'd like to get a new fuel pump regardless but I'll probably let a shop handle that because dropping the fuel tank and draining it will be a big undertaking for me in a driveway lol. Before I left I sprayed fluid film everywhere so it's good for the winter, that stuff works like a charm. This is my first time ever really working on a car, especially from a non running perspective. My main car is a dodge challenger and I like tinkering with it but there's only so much stuff you can do to it lol. If I get it road worthy I'll probably hit the mountains and beaches of NC. I've always wanted an off road vehicle and this truck has 4WD so I'm super excited to see where it'll take me ha.

The 4.0 V6 OHV are very reliable. The 4.0 V6 SOHC are a three timing chain nightmare that as long as you keep clean oil, and check the pan regularly-so, you don't really have to worry. Scrapped!? These are coming back into popularity. Scrapped. Pfffffff. Look into (with search feature on this forum actually) "Fuel Pump Access Panel" you can cut one into the rear floor and it's easy peasy. It's an XLT? I hope you got the OHV just because those need very little attention other than regular maintenance.

Also nice on the 110K miles.. That's nice. Got mine around 150-160 and now it's at 210! Original motor from what I can tell. But that's only a feat since it's a SOHC lol. Oh and also.. I recently paid $200 for a Moon Visor (like yours) just to have to paint it and mount it. I got a deal on it. They are INCREDIBLY hard to get now in any kind of decent shape. They have not made them for a very long time. Value in that visor. If he had it painted to match with automotive grade 2k which appears he did if it's still holding up.. Don't ever let it go for less than a couple hundred lol. His whole truck is a real piece of history, I'm very jelly. That visor is like a cool hat for your truck. You may not know how cool it is, but it is very cool.

I keep adding more to my reply, can't stop checking out the pics. I forgot to mention something. Sun roof gasket fails over time. It is probably leaking unless he had it redone. Mine does, incredibly minor leak so since I have no carpet and I keep the windows open any time it's not raining, it doesn't matter for me to fix it just yet. But I've heard they can leak pretty badly. I'd check that. Also wow. Chrome exhaust tip... This guy gets it..

........ One more thing. Again. Lol those tires don't look soooo bad to me on visual inspection. Are they just very old? I've ran some sketchy tires.. Doesn't mean you should but if they're not cracked and they don't seem dry rotted, ehhh.. Knowing what I know now -- I would 1st. do a torsion twist and shackle lift. (or spring lift -- unless you would rather just do shackles since they like to rot. Aftermarket ones are thicker. Might wanna just do shackles.) get another 1-2" of height. Then put on some 31's. They aren't much larger than what the largest total wheel size the Explorers came with is, which is 29.5". I think the stock on mine were somewhere round 27.5", 28" if you convert the 15" rims and tires ratios to become inches. I have not had to re-gear, since it's a small difference. Once you're in the realm of 32's, 33's, 35's, a regear is necessary. But my point is you should consider doing the cheap mods first for a little more height and a little more explorability, then get some nicer 30"; 31" tires instead. If that's the route you wanna go! I don't regret it whatsoever on mine, and it's common to find spare sets off of Wranglers and Grand Cherokees if I really need them. Of course, the center bore is different by about a hair's width, so you can't just run the rims without potential issues unless you want to get centering rings (which you can!) on some of the Jeep models. Same lug spacing. I had TJ wheels on mine for a while and they honestly looked mean as hell. But I went back to my Ranger 15"s and kept my teardrop stocks like you have on yours as a spare set. I dunno, something to consider! I bought a set of tires before doing all that, and never ****ing used them... So.. Yeah, now you know. Lol Maybe could even find a set of tires meant for street only use to take the trip back home on pavement.. And keep a set in the back for offroad (maybe even just this set that's on it now,) if you wanna stop a lot. Sounds like you don't but I may have misunderstood. If you do wanna stop a lot though, I'd go with a hybrid tire, and sleep in the back at camp sites or stealth camp. It's actually incredible, I've camped in mine a ton, and I see your cool uncle has those cool rain guards on the truck.. So you could get some fresh air if that's the way you wanna go. Just shooting ideas! Lol. It's a lot more than just a car! It's a truck

ONE MORE THING.... Man.. Sorry if I'm killing you with a bible of text. If you hear a power steering whine. They just do that. They all do that. It's just a thing they do. If it sounds crunchy, that's not power steering whine. If it's just like maaaaaaahhhhh when you turn the wheels? That's normal -- but check reservoir for bubbles. I had a leaking line from corrosion. Been there dealt with that. Whined before during and after the leak. Don't be alarmed. I remembered you said you only drove it around the driveway, they tend to get noisier closer to full lock.

Edit: And now as I'm looking at the pics once more. Is that factory mirror tint? Dude. Your uncle slayed *****es. I'd ask if he was a member of the forum but he was probably too busy touching grass and getting ass.

 

[Chrisjd10]

The 4.0 V6 OHV are very reliable. The 4.0 V6 SOHC are a three timing chain nightmare that as long as you keep clean oil, and check the pan regularly-so, you don't really have to worry. Scrapped!? These are coming back into popularity. Scrapped. Pfffffff. Look into (with search feature on this forum actually) "Fuel Pump Access Panel" you can cut one into the rear floor and it's easy peasy. It's an XLT? I hope you got the OHV just because those need very little attention other than regular maintenance.

Also nice on the 110K miles.. That's nice. Got mine around 150-160 and now it's at 210! Original motor from what I can tell. But that's only a feat since it's a SOHC lol. Oh and also.. I recently paid $200 for a Moon Visor (like yours) just to have to paint it and mount it. I got a deal on it. They are INCREDIBLY hard to get now in any kind of decent shape. They have not made them for a very long time. Value in that visor. If he had it painted to match with automotive grade 2k which appears he did if it's still holding up.. Don't ever let it go for less than a couple hundred lol. His whole truck is a real piece of history, I'm very jelly. That visor is like a cool hat for your truck. You may not know how cool it is, but it is very cool.

I keep adding more to my reply, can't stop checking out the pics. I forgot to mention something. Sun roof gasket fails over time. It is probably leaking unless he had it redone. Mine does, incredibly minor leak so since I have no carpet and I keep the windows open any time it's not raining, it doesn't matter for me to fix it just yet. But I've heard they can leak pretty badly. I'd check that. Also wow. Chrome exhaust tip... This guy gets it..

Edit: And now as I'm looking at the pics once more. Is that factory mirror tint? Dude. Your uncle slayed *****es. I'd ask if he was a member of the forum but he was probably too busy touching grass and getting ass.

Yessir, I love the visor look. This was his everyday truck that he also took fishing so I love all of the cool off road and utility stuff he put on it ha. Luckily there were no leaks in the interior, we had a few big storms hit while I was up north and the interior was perfectly dry so I guess that seal is still holding up. I'm trying to preserve this truck, I love reading up on the explorer and it's history. Honestly with car prices today, these things are an amazing value. I know everybody mostly focuses on 4runners and jeeps for off road builds but these old explorers are timeless and the interior is super comfy too. I've heard their pretty capable off road too but I've never hit the trails before, I guess I'll find out lol. The only thing I'll try to replace soon are the front and rear bumpers as their pretty badly rotted. Besides that, I think she'll be good to go. I appreciate all the info lol, don't worry about it. I remember that some of the tires had dry rot on the tread, but the sidewall looks fine. It's pretty deceiving but I don't want a tire blowing out on the interstate, I've been there before lol. Now that you said that, since I'll probably be replacing the tires anyway, I probably should get some slightly bigger ones.

 

[Metalface]

Yessir, I love the visor look. This was his everyday truck that he also took fishing so I love all of the cool off road and utility stuff he put on it ha. Luckily there were no leaks in the interior, we had a few big storms hit while I was up north and the interior was perfectly dry so I guess that seal is still holding up. I'm trying to preserve this truck, I love reading up on the explorer and it's history. Honestly with car prices today, these things are an amazing value. I know everybody mostly focuses on 4runners and jeeps for off road builds but these old explorers are timeless and the interior is super comfy too. I've heard their pretty capable off road too but I've never hit the trails before, I guess I'll find out lol. The only thing I'll try to replace soon are the front and rear bumpers as their pretty badly rotted. Besides that, I think she'll be good to go.

The leaks tend to be ***very*** small.. But over time it can cause mold in the jute under the carpet -- ask me how I know.. lol
I've edited my post since you began to reply! It went from a post to a whole amendment. You're welcome.
I can tell they're getting finished off, the bumpers.. The aftermarket ones aren't as thick and they rust quicker, it's a tough decision. Mine since I've soaked it in lanolin has stopped rusting. Lanolin coatings also help make the rust flakes swell and fall off which is amazing. You won't believe this and if you tell your uncle he might not either -- I can sit under my truck without safety glasses on, and work on things, and no rust falls in my eyes. It's actually surreal.
These are like a mix of the Ranger and the Bronco II, they're so sick. You're right about the prices! It's like a Ranger (but IMO better) with all the ranger things minus the ones that had vacuum locking hubs, for a third the cost. I didn't know what I was buying when I got mine, which is coincidentally very much like yours.. Turns out I made a good choice for picking the sketchiest, lowest priced ad on Marketplace that only said in the description "NEEDS A GOOD CLEAN." in all caps.
4runners are nice.. I really like how easy it is to lift them. There is a limit for lifting these. Unless you go nuts and refab stuff, which is actually the coolest **** ever though. Jeeps are favored because unibody -- very light -- and bolt on niceness, but I think that's lame as far as trucks go, and not very truck like. I like a frame and a body. Your uncle clearly could tell this thing was a truck, he treated it like one..
Mine loves mud and frozen mud. And sand.. Hahah
I don't know where about your uncle lives/lived but if you are ever out in the Pinelands, check out Stafford Forge (for sending it) and the entire Bass River State Forest. You'll never wanna leave. The bay around there is also beautiful. Just don't break the law up there, the state police are ruthless.

 

[Chrisjd10]

The leaks tend to be ***very*** small.. But over time it can cause mold in the jute under the carpet -- ask me how I know.. lol
I've edited my post since you began to reply! It went from a post to a whole amendment. You're welcome.
I can tell they're getting finished off, the bumpers.. The aftermarket ones aren't as thick and they rust quicker, it's a tough decision. Mine since I've soaked it in lanolin has stopped rusting. Lanolin coatings also help make the rust flakes swell and fall off which is amazing. You won't believe this and if you tell your uncle he might not either -- I can sit under my truck without safety glasses on, and work on things, and no rust falls in my eyes. It's actually surreal.
These are like a mix of the Ranger and the Bronco II, they're so sick. You're right about the prices! It's like a Ranger (but IMO better) with all the ranger things minus the ones that had vacuum locking hubs, for a third the cost. I didn't know what I was buying when I got mine, which is coincidentally very much like yours.. Turns out I made a good choice for picking the sketchiest, lowest priced ad on Marketplace that only said in the description "NEEDS A GOOD CLEAN." in all caps.
4runners are nice.. I really like how easy it is to lift them. There is a limit for lifting these. Unless you go nuts and refab stuff, which is actually the coolest **** ever though. Jeeps are favored because unibody -- very light -- and bolt on niceness, but I think that's lame as far as trucks go, and not very truck like. I like a frame and a body. Your uncle clearly could tell this thing was a truck, he treated it like one..
Mine loves mud and frozen mud. And sand.. Hahah
I don't know where about your uncle lives/lived but if you are ever out in the Pinelands, check out Stafford Forge (for sending it) and the entire Bass River State Forest. You'll never wanna leave. The bay around there is also beautiful. Just don't break the law up there, the state police are ruthless.

Thanks for all the pointers, I'll take a look around for some bumpers. The metal ones are cool but I love the look of the stock ones too much lol. I can't wait to take it to the woods where it truly belongs ha. The rust falling everywhere was a pain, I must admit. Every single time I turned a wrench or bumped into something flakes of rust would fall off. Luckily most of it is gone now, and it all came from the rocker panels. The stock plastic running boards trapped tons of water and moisture and started rusting out the rocker panels on both sides. It's nothing too major but it looks a little rough. I took them off and got a little bit of weight reduction too ha.

 

[Metalface]

Thanks for all the pointers, I'll take a look around for some bumpers. The metal ones are cool but I love the look of the stock ones too much lol. I can't wait to take it to the woods where it truly belongs ha. The rust falling everywhere was a pain, I must admit. Every single time I turned a wrench or bumped into something flakes of rust would fall off. Luckily most of it is gone now, and it all came from the rocker panels. The stock plastic running boards trapped tons of water and moisture and started rusting out the rocker panels on both sides. It's nothing too major but it looks a little rough. I took them off and got a little bit of weight reduction too ha.

They're metal on most of the stock ones, but I think after 98, 99? Don't know for sure -- they're the plastic ones. If you hit it with an air chisel or honestly just a plain old hammer where the rust is, most of it will blow off. These trucks aren't afraid of a little weight... Hahaha. And no prob! Stuff I wish someone coulda just told me when I got mine. Had to learn a lot of it. Wisdom or whatever. Glad I could help!

 

[DintDobbs]

@Chrisjd10 Don't concern yourself with the timing stuff. It's been covered already, but since you have the OHV, the timing chain concerns don't apply to you.

Lift-wise, what you're looking for is the RTZ lift kit... comes with T-bar keys and shackles, puts her up 1-2" quickly and easily. Totally recommend Rancho RS5000X, specifically X, the gas ones. I destroyed hydraulic RS5000's with normal use. Not sure if there's a direct fit for Explorers, but you can do some math or measurements to determine what length you need, and match it to the lift. 31's will fit a 2" lift with no fuss; ask @Fix4Dirt .

Off-road, these things are fairly beastly. I'm running a moderately-modified '99 on 33's with 1.5" spacers, with MOOG Problem Solver ball joints and Timken bearings (OEM style IIRC) and the original control arms; the guys I rode Uwharrie with swear I caught air time a week or two ago (not my first rodeo). It's been on the RTZ since shortly after I got it, and I have knocked it around enough to need many alignments, but have never broken any suspension parts.

Shortly after I got my '00 Limited, I took a 10-hour drive out onto NC's Barrier Islands... look up Corolla Beach and NC Hwy 12. Awesome experience, definitely want to do that again. These things handle sand quite respectably, but you'll want to watch the engine temperature. I saw many bro trucks and even a Wrangler JL sinking in the sand and drove past 'em laughing. Maybe holla when you're in the area and I can make some arrangements.

 

[Metalface]

Lift-wise, what you're looking for is the RTZ lift kit... comes with T-bar keys and shackles, puts her up 1-2" quickly and easily. Totally recommend Rancho RS5000X, specifically X, the gas ones. I destroyed hydraulic RS5000's with normal use. Not sure if there's a direct fit for Explorers, but you can do some math or measurements to determine what length you need, and match it to the lift. 31's will fit a 2" lift with no fuss; ask

I should've bothered to type the X -- I have the X's and they're great. Less ass-sag when there's a bunch of stuff in the back over bumps, too. Good to know he has the OHV... It will never die.

 

[Chrisjd10]

@DintDobbs sounds good, I'll take some measurements when I'm back up north. I go to Wilmington a lot for the beaches and the night life but I've always wanted to check out all the beaches up north like the outer banks. I never knew about highway 12, I just looked it up and it looks amazing. I'll definitely have to make a trip up there once I get the truck back on the road lol. @Metalface sweet, I'm glad to hear it's such a dependable engine. I love how there's so much support for it, finding parts is super cheap and easy.

 

[DintDobbs]

@Chrisjd10 Actually I'm looking for a set for my '00, pretty sure all '95-01 4x4's use the same shock absorbers so if I can figure out the right one for a 2" lift, I'll post the model number here.

Front NO LIFT - RS55229
Front 1-2.5" LIFT - RS55374
Rear 0-2.5" LIFT - RS55185

 

[Fix4Dirt]

yes 31s will fit on 2"

my 2c is also put a big trans cooler in it helps immensely for the 4/5r55e.


love the truck looks really nice i wish i had taillight guard sometimes haha

 

[410Fortune]

Is this the rust stuff mentioned earlier?
SkyCo Ospho Rust Remover - 1 Gallon https://a.co/d/9u3eUoP

95 explorers are tanks, hard to kill one

 

[fast_dave]

@Chrisjd10

Sitting 3 years = I'd be concerned about the thermostat sticking (super easy swap-out on the OHV).

Fresh Coolant also recommended.

Good luck and have a safe trip!

 

[EB4X]

*LOOK at your door sticker (drivers door jamb) and at the bottom edge under word AXLE see if you have a letter/number combo...if so, added bonus, you have Limited Slip....anything starting with a "D" or an "L" is limited slip.
*As stated replace your thermostat whether you think it needs it or not, the only thing to kill an OHV is overheating...so easy and cheap replacement/ preventative maintenance.
* I have 265 75 16's on my '95 ...no lift....no rubbing... haven't taken it extreme off roading yet...but mild test....

 

[spinnn]

Hey, this is my first post so hopefully it's in the right spot. I'm working on my uncle's 1995 Explorer 4.0 V6 and I'm just wondering what would have to be repaired before I take it on the road. I'm in college so life is pretty busy and I can only work on it when I'm back up north since the truck is in New Jersey. I know some things are crucial and others aren't, I just wanna be prepared and get parts for whatever repairs are needed. The truck has been sitting for 3 years but thankfully I got it running this summer. The idle is super smooth and there's no weird sounds coming from the engine bay. I drove it around the driveway and it shifts into gear perfectly. All the fluid levels are good, temperatures look good and there are no leaks. The only issue so far is rust. The salt has left a fair amount of surface rust on the frame and rocker panels, but from the research I've done, don't think it's enough to be super concerned. The ride height and the springs look good but there's a lot of rust on the shocks in the front and rear so I'm going to replace those since their pretty cheap. I can take care of all of the rust once I get it home, I just wanna see if I could drive it back instead of having it transported. The road trip home is about 10 hours and I know it'll be a lot for the truck since it's been sitting for a while, but I'll definitely break it up into a few days. So far I know I need new tires, shocks, and I'd like to do an oil change, but besides that, is there anything else you'd guys recommend? I've attached some images below. Thanks.

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Beautiful truck!!!
So, I bought a grandma truck similar to yours but without all the cool goodies, had 105k when I bought it. Here's what I did:
>New headlights and blinkers...the adjusters seize up on these, and the lenses turn yellow and dim
>Full synthetic fluid change and grease job
>Transmission cooler (heat is the enemy of these)
>Full tune up including MAF and O2 sensors
>Radiator (the seal between the plastic tank and the aluminum seems to be problematic)
>Shocks (I like the Monroe coil over shocks for this, it levels my truck out nice)
>Sway bar links and bushings
>Copious quantities of white lithium grease on all moving parts
>New 30x9.5 BFG All-terrain with fresh alignment and camber kit from Moog to get the alignment right
The exhaust went behind the rear converter so I replaced it with a straight pipe (no muffler). I like the way these sound with no muffler, and in combination with a K&N air filter, I believe the motor is a little peppier. Could just be confirmation bias, but whatever...it sounds cool.
My flywheel went and took out the trans, so I have a rebuilt one now...also got a hot-rod 200A alternator since I use my truck as a generator when the power goes out or if I need AC (inverter).
I find that the devil is in the details. I've also replaced the door strike bushings, many of the missing rubber bumpers throughout the truck, and the hood bumpers to get rid of squeaks and weirdness.
I also have a case of Fluid-Film that I plan to apply to the underside when I get a chance, to shut down the rust, of which there is a little.
It drives like a champ now, and is a pleasure to tool around in...my GF agrees too, as I am building the truck for her, so a lot of what I do is to increase not only longevity but reliability...hell hath no fury like a woman stuck on the side of the road LOL. It's not a wheeler per-se, my GF and I drive it on dirt a little when we take the dogs to the woods to run, and I used it to pull myself out when I got stuck the other day, but it's mostly for street. I am going to take it to Waynesville NC for vacation next month and I'm not too worried about it.
Best of luck to you!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Metalface]

Beautiful truck!!!
So, I bought a grandma truck similar to yours but without all the cool goodies, had 105k when I bought it. Here's what I did:
>New headlights and blinkers...the adjusters seize up on these, and the lenses turn yellow and dim
>Full synthetic fluid change and grease job
>Transmission cooler (heat is the enemy of these)
>Full tune up including MAF and O2 sensors
>Radiator (the seal between the plastic tank and the aluminum seems to be problematic)
>Shocks (I like the Monroe coil over shocks for this, it levels my truck out nice)
>Sway bar links and bushings
>Copious quantities of white lithium grease on all moving parts
>New 30x9.5 BFG All-terrain with fresh alignment and camber kit from Moog to get the alignment right
The exhaust went behind the rear converter so I replaced it with a straight pipe (no muffler). I like the way these sound with no muffler, and in combination with a K&N air filter, I believe the motor is a little peppier. Could just be confirmation bias, but whatever...it sounds cool.
My flywheel went and took out the trans, so I have a rebuilt one now...also got a hot-rod 200A alternator since I use my truck as a generator when the power goes out or if I need AC (inverter).
I find that the devil is in the details. I've also replaced the door strike bushings, many of the missing rubber bumpers throughout the truck, and the hood bumpers to get rid of squeaks and weirdness.
I also have a case of Fluid-Film that I plan to apply to the underside when I get a chance, to shut down the rust, of which there is a little.
It drives like a champ now, and is a pleasure to tool around in...my GF agrees too, as I am building the truck for her, so a lot of what I do is to increase not only longevity but reliability...hell hath no fury like a woman stuck on the side of the road LOL. It's not a wheeler per-se, my GF and I drive it on dirt a little when we take the dogs to the woods to run, and I used it to pull myself out when I got stuck the other day, but it's mostly for street. I am going to take it to Waynesville NC for vacation next month and I'm not too worried about it.
Best of luck to you!!!!!!!!!!

Hearing that you take care of things this way is so refreshing. I did basically the same with mine; a few things I did discover though. If it's an XLT chance it came with Towing Package so may already have an aux trans cooler (nice). Mine did. And white lithium will not last forever, even though I use it for most other things. In the case of a vehicle suspension/chassis I went with marine grease and moly grease, those are more resistant to water and simply evaporating and they won't ruin rubber bushings (unless you've upgraded to polyurethane. very recommended and I was skeptical going into it.)
I will say that as far as new headlights go, I bothered to restore the original main headlight housing and replaced the outer. It meant opening the housings and re-sealing them, so that I could clean and polish the inside of the housing as well as the outside. (They look brand new and were horribly yellowed and faded inside to begin with) The factory plastics tend to be of much greater quality. The results I've achieved have lasted well over 2 years now and the replacement outer lights are starting to fade already... It's a common problem with replacement headlights. They cheap out on the quality of plastic. Mileage may vary though!
I haven't had an opportunity to get my hands on the coil-over monroe shocks -- I did read that rustier trucks can risk the shock blowing the perch off the rear, so worth noting. I don't think OP's explorer is bad enough to even wonder though. How did you like them?? I've been interested in those.
Also worth noting "my" truck is also "our" truck, just like your example, as in she drives it to work and I take care of it the rest of the time lol, of course other than when it's party time and the Explorer gets to Explore and maybe self-clearance some air dams or test the bump stops.. But man I feel all of this... If it were just mine I would probably be less concerned about most things, and not worry or take care of stuff in-advance as much, but since she has to rely on it, it's major for me to look out for all the little stuff just like you're doing and that is SO nice to see!!
+1 to all of the advice you gave.

And actually, we take ours camping all the time. Sometimes stealth camping, for a little rush LOL. Since you said you take it on dirt and here and there.. Well--maybe take it to a camp ground sometime? :] Maybe worth looking into!! They're good "camping SUVs." Especially with a couple small and reversible mods like window screen and rain guard window screens. Not to mention ability to tow a little trailer behind.. It's kind of the best of all worlds, as we all know already haha